


Dramatically Lovely

by ChromaticTritone



Series: Dramatically Lovely [1]
Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Boys In Love, College, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, Hate to Love, M/M, Psychological Drama, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 11,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29618079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChromaticTritone/pseuds/ChromaticTritone
Summary: Van Helsing & Saint-Germain are two college students who could not be more different. But after they’re paired together for a school project, they start to see each other’s true colors—and begin to fall for each other.
Relationships: Saint-Germain (Code: Realize)/Abraham Van Helsing (Code: Realize)
Series: Dramatically Lovely [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179218
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

Van Helsing is sitting his Creative Writing Foundations class, trying to show some amount of interest in what the instructor is saying.

He’s trying—he really is. But honestly, this wasn’t his first choice on classes to take. He’s not much of a writer. But given that a writing class of some kind is required to graduate, and this one looked more straightforward than the others, he decided to take the class. But now, as he’s struggling to pretend he’s paying attention, he’s regretting his decision.

“…your first class project,” Dr. Madson, the instructor says. “We recently studied Waiting for Godot, & how it made a story of only 2 characters intriguing for the audience. In groups of 2, I would like you to write a play with only 2 characters, and aim to showcase the level of interest that Waiting for Godot displayed. Don’t worry—your script won’t need to be as long as Waiting for Godot. I’ll need to see a script that’s least 3 pages long from your group.”

Van Helsing stifles a yawn.

“Your play will be performed in front of the class next Friday. Don’t worry—you can read off your scripts; no need to memorize,” she says with a smile. “I’ll be assigning your groups now,” Dr. Madson adds. She reaches for a sheet of paper in front of her, and starts reading off names. At this, Van Helsing wakes himself up & listens closely for his own name. 

Finally, it comes.

“Abraham Van Helsing, you’ll be in a group with Lawrence Saint-Germain.”

Van Helsing blinks in surprise. _The rich kid?!_ He looks across the room at Saint-Germain—nobody calls him Lawrence—who smiles at him. In response, Van looks away, annoyed to have been paired with such a terrible person. At least, he would assume Saint-Germain is a terrible person. He can’t prove it, but he knows he’s right.

He’s heard rumors about Saint-Germain, mainly regarding the amount of money his family is supposedly worth. Whenever the rumors come up, they’re always by people eagerly hoping Saint-Germain would fancy an interest in them. Contrary to this feeling, whenever he hears about Saint-Germain, Van wants to tell the people talking to shut up. Mr. Rich Kid can’t be _that_ great a guy, after all. They never are.

Dr. Madson finishes reading the groups to the students. Then, she says, “You’ll have the rest of the class to talk to your partner and begin planning your play. We have about 10 minutes, so start planning & then plan a time to work on the play outside of class. Thank you!”

With that, Dr. Madson returns to her desk.

Everyone in the room begins standing up & moving around. Van Helsing sighs. _I guess I have no choice._

He stands up, and approaches Saint-Germain’s desk, sitting next to him. 

For a moment, neither of them speaks. Then, Van says, “So, we need to write a play.”

“It would seem so,” Saint-Germain agrees.

Van Helsing clears his throat. _Well, this is awkward._

“I have a few ideas,” Saint-Germain pipes up—thankfully. “I think we could do something cheerful yet engaging. Or perhaps something existential, like Waiting for Godot.”

“Hmmmm…” Van Helsing thinks on it for a moment. “Existential sounds like a good starting point. Let’s go with that.”

“Ok. Let me write this down,” Saint-Germain says. He takes a laptop out of his bag, and begins creating a Google Doc. “I’ll share this document with you. What’s your school email?”

Van Helsing tells him, & soon enough, Saint-Germain shares the document with him.

_Of course he has his own laptop, _Van thinks sullenly. _I’ll have to look at the document in the computer lab later…___

__“Alright, I’ve got existential written down. What else should we do?”_ _

__“How about a story about discovering yourself, or a story about growing up?” Van replies._ _

__“A story about discovering yourself…that sounds good,” says Saint-Germain, writing it down._ _

__“Alright class,” says Dr. Madson. “I’ll see you on Wednesday!”_ _

__“Oh, it looks like class is over,” says Saint-Germain. “But we still haven’t planned a time to start working on the play outside of class.” He thinks for a moment. “I’m available tomorrow at 3:30 to work on the project,” he says. “We can meet in the library?”_ _

__Van thinks for a moment. Then, he nods. “That sounds fine,” he says._ _

__With that, Van Helsing stands up to leave the classroom._ _

__Saint-Germain watches Van’s retreating footsteps with interest._ _

__It seems that Van Helsing doesn’t like him. But Saint-Germain is unsure as to why. What has he done to incur Van’s wrath? Perhaps he doesn’t want to find out. But if Van Helsing hates him…_ _

__Well, no matter. He shakes his head, and starts packing his things so he can go to his next class._ _


	2. Chapter 2

Van Helsing returns to the dorm in a huff. Upon entering, he sees his roommate, Fran, look up at him. “Hi Van!” he says. “What’s up?”

Van sighs. “You won’t believe who I’m working with on my Creative Writing Foundations project.”

“Who?”

Van Helsing turns to Fran with a frown. “Saint-Germain!” he says, waving his hands for emphasis.

Fran’s eyes widen. “Saint-Germain? Ah, he was in my freshmen orientation group. I think I’ve heard rumors about him too. Isn’t he supposed to be Mr. Money?”

“Yep. The one & only,” Van says with a groan. “I can’t believe I got paired with that snob.”

“Well, just because he has some money doesn’t mean he’s a snob. He was nice during my freshmen orientation, after all. You shouldn’t judge people before you get to know them,” says Fran gently.

Van sighs. “I’m going to make an exception to that rule for his sorry ass.”

Fran laughs despite himself.

“Anyway,” says Van, “I’d better get going. I just wanted to vent—and drop off my backpack—before heading to work.”

“Ok,” says Fran with a smile. “See you later!”

With that, Van heads off to his part time job. He got his job right when the school year started, & he works as a waiter on one of the restaurants on Main Street, right near his college campus.

All throughout work he’s distracted, thinking about Saint-Germain, his blood boiling all the while. _Why do I have to work with him of all people? He seems like the worst person I could possibly be paired with. Ugh, why’d this have to happen to me?_

Thankfully, he’s able to finish his shift without any trouble. And so, he heads back to his dorm.


	3. Chapter 3

Saint-Germain is waiting for Van Helsing in the library. Saint looks down at his watch. It’s currently 3:40. Which means Van is 10 minutes late.

He wonders if Van is even going to come at all. After all, he didn’t seem too happy to be working together. Which means there’s every chance he’ll flat out refuse to work on this project with Saint-Germain.

Saint sighs. _How troublesome._

Just as this thought enters his mind, he catches sight of Van Helsing entering the library. Saint waves, and Van sees him, approaching the table Saint has reserved for them.

“Sorry I’m late,” Van says simply.

“It’s alright,” Saint-Germain replies, trying to keep the peace. He smiles. “Are you ready to begin working?”

“Yes. Do you mind if I look over at the notes on your laptop? I don’t have one of my own,” he says.

Saint nods. “Go ahead,” he says, opening his laptop & moving closer to Van Helsing so the other man can more easily see his screen.

They’re now so close that their shoulders are practically touching. This gives Van a strange, prickly feeling inside his heart. He shifts in his chair uneasily.

“Let’s see,” Saint-Germain says. “Last time, we wrote that we wanted to do an existential story about discovering yourself. Let’s build on that to outline our play. After we finish the outline, we can write the script together.”

Soon enough, they’ve planned out the play. It’ll be about a man with a mysterious number—number 14—meeting a girl who helps him discover who he truly is.

With the outline done, Van Helsing stands up. “Well, I suppose I’ll be going now.”

“Wait,” Saint-Germain says.

Van raises an eyebrow, but he sits back down.

“Why don’t you like me, Van?” Saint-Germain asks simply.

Van Helsing is startled by the question. He had no idea Saint would…well, just ask like that. Van frowns for a moment.

“You’re a rich brat. Why would I have any reason to like you?” he says, his voice venomous.

Saint-Germain, on the other hand, is only amused. “I see. A ‘rich brat’…so that’s how you see me. That explains a lot.”

Van turns away with a sigh. “I’ve worked hard every day of my life. And then people like you come along and get it all without doing shit. But I don’t expect a rich kid like you to understand,” Van Helsing says, practically spitting out the words.

Saint-Germain blinks in surprise, and for a moment, Van thinks he sees a flash of hurt on the other man’s face. Then, it fades, and Saint says, “I see. So that’s how you feel. It seems there’s nothing more to say then.”

With that, Saint-Germain stands up from the table, & walks away, his bag in hand.

Van doesn’t stop him, & only watches him leave.

After Saint is safely out of sight, Van stands up, & leaves the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you catch the Collar x Malice reference in Van & Saint’s script? :D


	4. Chapter 4

Saint-Germain is sitting in his room, contemplating the situation.

The words “rich brat” are still ringing in his ears. He doubts he’ll be able to forget them any time soon.

It seems Van hates him. The one person he has feelings for actually hates him. 

But what can he do about it?

He hears his stomach growl, & sighs. Well, whatever he’s going to do, he can’t do it on an empty stomach.

So, he heads to the dining hall.

Soon enough, he arrives there, & grabs some food. Then, he looks around to see if any familiar faces are eating right now. And he sees—

“Ah, Fran,” Saint-Germain says, walking up to Fran’s table. He & Fran had their freshmen orientation together, so it’s always good to see him. “How are you?”

Fran looks up and smiles. “Great! How are you?”

Saint sighs. “I…could be better,” he confesses.

Fran tilts his head to one side. “What’s wrong?”

After a moment of hesitation, Saint-Germain speaks. “…Do you know Abraham Van Helsing?”

“Van Helsing?” Fran’s eyes light up. “Yeah! He’s my roommate. What about him?”

Saint smiles briefly. Rooming with Van must be a dream come true…

He shakes his head. Now’s not the time to be thinking about that. He clears his throat. “We’ve been paired together for a project, and he…seems to hate me. I’m not sure how to rectify the situation, to be honest.” He sighs. “Do you have any advice? Surely you must know him better than I do—is there anything I can do?”

“Hmmm…” Fran says, putting a finger on his chin thoughtfully. Then, something comes to him. He smiles. “I have an idea…”


	5. Chapter 5

It’s been a day since the rather heated exchange at the library. Van is trying not to think about it, and is working at the restaurant, focusing on his shift.

Van approaches the table with a professional smile. “I’m Van; I’ll be your server to—“

He stops in his tracks when he sees who’s seated at the table. “Saint-Germain?”

Saint smiles. “Hello, Van.”

Van blinks, then blinks again. But Saint is still sitting in the booth. Great. Van shakes his head. “What are you doing here?”

“Your roommate told me you worked here. So, I thought I’d drop by.”

Van sighs. “Alright…weird, but alright.” He takes out his notepad. “What can I get for you today?”

“I’ll have a cup of chamomile tea,” says Saint-Germain with a smile. “And if you have honey so I can put that in my tea, that would be lovely.” 

Van nods, a perfect picture of calm, but inside, he’s reeling. “Coming right up.”

He walks away, his heart pounding. _Why would Fran tell Saint-Germain about where I work? No, more than that, why would SAINT-GERMAIN want to come visit me at work?! What is going on?!_

His mind racing, he gets Saint-Germain’s tea & honey, and delivers them to the table. “Here you are,” Van says, gently placing the tea & honey in front of Saint.

Saint-Germain gives him a smile. “Thank you very much.”

Van looks away, suddenly embarrassed. _I might hate his guts, but…I got to admit, he’s cute when he smiles._

“Well, my shift’s about to end,” Van says, “so I’m pretty sure Troy will be taking care of you the rest of your time here.”

“Your shift’s about to end?” Saint says. Then, he smiles. “In that case, join me. Please. I would love your company.”

Hearing that makes Van’s mind go haywire, but for all his intelligence, he can’t think of a good reason to refuse. “…Alright then. Give me a sec.”

Van goes to the kitchen to finish up his shift. A few minutes later, he emerges, & joins Saint-Germain at the table.

For a moment, both are silent. Then, Saint-Germain speaks.

“So, you think I’m a rich brat, do you?” he says, his tone amused but his eyes serious. He takes a small sip of his tea

Van flushes. “It doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Oh, I believe it does, since we’re working together on this project, after all.”

“We can work together without communicating too often you know.”

“I disagree.”

Van sighs.

For a moment, both are silent. Saint takes another sip of his tea, finishing the drink.. Then, he looks at Van Helsing. “Well, I’ll be going now. I believe you pay at the counter up front at this restaurant, yes?”

“That’s right,” Van replies.

“Good,” Saint says with a smile. “I’ll see you later, Van.”

Van watches Saint-Germain leave. Then, after a moment, Van stands up too, and heads out of the restaurant.

Outside, Saint-Germain sighs with displeasure. Visiting Van at work didn’t work—not at all. If anything, it only made Van Helsing more wary of him. Perhaps he’ll need to try another strategy…

Saint-Germain thinks this over as he walks back to campus.


	6. Chapter 6

Van returns home to see Fran sitting on the bed.

“Why did you tell Saint-Germain where I work?” Van says, confronting his roommate.

Fran looks up. Then, he smiles. “I was just trying to help…”

“Help? You made me day a whole lot weirder, that’s what you did.” He shakes his head. “I never would’ve expected Saint to show up to my job—seeing that was just plain wrong!”

“Look,” Fran says, “I just had a feeling that Saint-Germain want to get along better with you, so I tried to make that happen. Maybe it worked, maybe it didn’t, but I wanted to try.”

“…Alright,” Van says with a sigh. “But I don’t think we’re going to get along, so you can give up on that right now.”

“If you say so,” says Fran with a knowing smile.

With that, Van sits down at his desk, & begins taking care of his homework.


	7. Chapter 7

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another Creative Writing Foundations class. Van has a feeling they’ll be working on their group projects in class today, & he’s not really looking forward to that, especially with how awkward things were with Saint at the restaurant the other day.

Sure enough, with 10 minutes of class left to go, Dr. Madson turns to the class and says, “I’m giving the rest of class for you to get in your groups & work on your projects. Do your best to get something productive done in the time you have now.”

With that, everyone stands up & starts moving around the classroom. Van stands up too, & goes to Saint-Germain’s desk, sitting in a chair next to him.

He’s determined to not show how rattled he was by Saint’s appearance at his job, so he looks at Saint-Germain with all the confidence he can muster & says, “Shall we get to work?”

Saint-Germain smiles back with that beautiful smile of his. “Yes. Let’s do it,” he says, taking out his laptop. He opens it, & finds the Google Doc with the script. So far, they had only an outline of the events that would transpire over the 3 or so pages, with no actual scriptwriting done yet. Saint looks at the outline & nods. “It’s good, but we need an ending.”

“Hmmm…” Van thinks for a moment. Then, “How about we have the girl affirm Number 14’s humanity? I think that could be an interesting way to end it.”

Saint-Germain nods in agreement. “Let’s do that,” he says, typing frantically as he updates the outline. “I think that just about does it with the outline. Now we just have to write the script…”

“And that’s all the time we have for today,” Dr. Madson says. “See you Monday!”

“I guess we’ll have to work on that later,” says Van Helsing, starting to stand up.

“Wait,” Saint-Germain says. “How about we get together tonight & start writing the script? I can meet at 8 in the library; I’ll get the same table as last time.”

For a moment, Van hesitates. But then he shrugs. “Alright.”

With that, they leave class for the day, & prepare to meet up that evening.


	8. Chapter 8

Van enters the library with a sigh. He’ll just have to get this over with, & then he can go back to the dorm & relax. Hopefully this won’t take long.

He sees Saint-Germain at the same table as before, & walks up to him, sitting next to him at the table so he can see Saint’s laptop easily.

Saint’s laptop is already open to the outline they’d come up with together. “Now to write the script,” he says.

He opens a new Google Doc, calls it ‘Creative Writing Foundations Project Script’, & shares the document with Van.

With that done, they need to think of a first line for the script, & fill the blank page.

Saint-Germain looks thoughtful. “How about we start with Number 14 asking the girl who he’s supposed to be?”

Van thinks for a moment. Then, he shakes his head. “I don’t like that. What if we begin with the girl asking Number 14 for his name?”

Saint tilts his head to one side. “I think my idea works a little better, Van…”

Van bristles. “Well, I think you’re full of shit,” he says before he can stop himself.

Just like their first time at the library, a look of hurt flashes on Saint-Germain’s face. But it’s quickly replaced by a hint of irritation & resignation. “Alright. Let’s go with your idea then,” he says, clearly trying to stop them from fighting any further. He turns to his laptop, & starts typing in Van’s idea in script form.

Van smirks. “Well, that’s good. You’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”

“Why thank you,” Saint-Germain says. Then, he takes in Van’s words. “Well, I think.”

Now that his hatred for Saint-Germain is truly out in the open, Van finds that he can’t hold himself back. All throughout the scriptwriting process, he says mean things to Saint-Germain, saying cruel things simply to gauge a reaction—and because he truly does hate Saint-Germain’s guts.

Finally, Van reads a line in the script. “’I’m not quite human’”, Van says, reading off the script. Then, he turns to Saint-Germain with a smirk. “How cute. It’s describing you.”

Saint looks away, his face flushed with anger. After a moment, he speaks. “I know you don’t like me, Van. If this has something to do with my background—“

“Oh, it has everything to do with your background,” Van Helsing spits out. “I hate people like you. Got it?”

Saint-Germain blinks in surprise & hurt. Then, he says “I may have some means to my name,” Saint-Germain says, “but that doesn’t mean I let it get to my head. I work hard for my successes, just like you. Surely you can understand that.”

Van doesn’t want to admit it, but he can understand that, at least to some extent. But instead, he says, “No. I can’t.”

Saint-Germain shakes his head. Then, he puts his laptop in his bag, stands up, & wordlessly leaves the library.

Van watches him go with anger still burning in his heart.

Meanwhile, as Saint-Germain leaves the library, tears start to stream down his face as he’s affected by Van’s cruel words.


	9. Chapter 9

Van returns to the dorm to see Fran already back. Fran gives him a smile. “How’s everything going with Saint-Germain?”

Van groans in response. Fran nods in understanding. “So, still not great?”

“No,” he says. “I still hate his guts, & I don’t think that’ll be changing any time soon.”

Fran nods. “I’m sure it will, but go on.”

“He’s just such a rich jerk! God, I hate his guts—urgh!” He sighs. “Even so, I…might have been too mean to him today,” Van says, though somewhat reservedly, as if he doesn’t want to admit it to himself. “Maybe…I should apologize.”

Fran nods. “I don’t know what you said, but if you think you went too far, you should apologize.”

Van sighs. “I’ll think about it,” he replies. He puts his backpack down. “Well, I’ve got some homework to do, so I’d better get started on that.”

“Alright,” Fran replies with a smile. “Let me know how things go with Saint-Germain, ok?”

Van sighs again. “Alright,” he says in response.

Van finds it hard to concentrate on his homework as he thinks back to everything he said to Saint-Germain. _I basically called him a cruel, heartless monster…and while I definitely don’t like the guy, that was a bridge too far._ He sighs, trying to gather his thoughts. _I should probably apologize to him tomorrow. But it’s not like we have class tomorrow—how am I going to find him?_

He then thinks of something. _If anyone can help, it’s Fran._ Van looks up from his desk, to where Fran is sitting on the bed. “Fran, do you know where Saint-Germain lives on campus?”

“Hmmm…” Fran says. Then, he suddenly remembers. “I think we visited his dorm during freshmen orientation. He was late for some reason, so our whole group had to go over there & get him.”

_Huh._

“Anyway, I think he lived in Laurel Hall freshmen year. I don’t know if he’s still living there now, but it’s worth checking out,” Fran says. “You should ask someone there if he lives there.”

Van Helsing smiles. “Thanks Fran. I can always count on you.”

Fran nods. “Hey, what are friends for?”

With that, Van Helsing finishes up his homework, determined to talk to Saint-Germain tomorrow & set things right.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Van Helsing approaches Laurel Hall with trepidation. 

He’s not sure if he’s even going to find Saint-Germain here, but it’s worth a shot. 

Someone leaves the door, holding the door open for Van. “Thank you,” he says. Then, “Does Saint-Germain live here?”

The person raises their eyebrow. “I think he’s in the single in 303.”

 _Single? So, he doesn’t have a roommate?_ Aloud, he says, “Alright; thanks.”

With that, he heads to the third floor, & soon, he reaches 303.

For a moment, he hesitates. Then, he knocks on the door.

“Just a moment,” he hears from inside the room. There’s no mistaking it—that voice definitely belongs to Saint-Germain. Looks like the random stranger was right after all. After a few moments of waiting, the door opens.

Saint-Germain looks out into the hallway to see…Van Helsing?! _What’s he doing here?_

Van scratches his head awkwardly. “Hi, Saint-Germain. I want to talk to you.” After another moment, he speaks again. “I went too far yesterday. I’m…sorry for what I said,” Van Helsing says, looking away, not meeting Saint-Germain’s gaze.

When he finally turns back to Saint-Germain, he sees an unexpected gentleness in the other man’s eyes. It catches him off guard. Then, Saint-Germain smiles.

“I forgive you, Van. Thank you for apologizing.”

Those words fill Van with relief, but he doesn’t show it. Instead, he gives Saint-Germain a cautious smile. “Well, I’ll be leaving now. Did you want to…work on the script this weekend? I’m not working, so I’m available.”

Saint-Germain considers it for a moment. Then, he nods. “Let’s meet at the library in 2 hours, at 3pm. Does that sound good?”

“Yep, that’s fine,” Van Helsing replies. Then, “See you then. Bye.”

“Goodbye,” Saint-Germain says, closing the door to his room.

With that, Van Helsing leaves the dorm.

Inside the room, Saint-Germain is reeling. He can’t believe Van came & apologized. That was the last thing he expected to happen. And for Van to track him down like this specifically to deliver this apology…it must mean he truly regrets his actions. Does this mean…Van doesn’t hate him anymore? It’s too much for him to hope, but he wants to hold on to that little hope anyway.

He smiles as he considers that he’ll see Van again later that day. He hopes their time together will be fruitful.

2 hours later, Saint-Germain is sitting down at the library. He arrived early, his heart pounding with excitement as he considers what tonight’s excursion will bring.

Soon enough, Van Helsing arrives. As soon as he sits down, Saint opens his laptop. “Should we start working on the script?”

So, they work on the script together, & this time, their time working is a lot more peaceful than last time.

Soon, the script is finished. Van Helsing smiles in satisfaction. “Now all we have to do is assign our parts & learn the script & we’ll be good to go.”

“Agreed,” says Saint-Germain. “Which part would you like to play?”

Van thinks for a moment. Then, “I’ll play The Girl. You can be Number 14.”

Saint gets a distant look in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Is that alright?” Van asks.

“Oh, it’s just…” Saint’s voice trails off. “Last time, you were comparing me negatively to Number 14. That’s all.”

Van cringes as he remembers his words from before. “I didn’t mean it,” he protests. “And I’m sorry.”

Saint sighs. “It’s alright,” he says.

For a moment, they both sit in an awkward silence before Saint speaks again.

“Let’s plan a time to start reading through the script together & get it ready to perform,” Saint-Germain says. “How about Monday, after class?”

Van Helsing thinks for a moment. “I have a shift at work after class. My shift ends at 8pm—I can meet you in the library then. Would that work?”

Saint-Germain nods. “That sounds good.” He smiles. “It’s a date.”

Something about the way he says “date” makes butterflies flutter in Van’s chest, but he quickly pushes the feelings down. “Great. See you then.”

With that, Van leaves, a sense of happy embarrassment rising in his chest.

Meanwhile, Saint-Germain’s heart is pounding in embarrassment. He can’t believe he got the courage to call his time with Van a “date”. Then again, he’s unsure if his choice of words meant anything to Van Helsing. Only time would tell, he supposed.

With that, he grabs his bag, & leaves the library.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little Cardia cameo in this chapter. Can you find it? :3

Van Helsing enters the dining hall with Fran in tow. Both of them were so caught up in their work that they hadn’t eaten, & Van is determined to get his energy up before his Creative Writing Foundations class.

They get their food, & as they’re finding a table, Fran motions to his right. “Look who it is!”

Van looks to see Saint-Germain sitting at table in the corner by himself. “Oh, it’s Saint-Germain,” he says. Then, “Why don’t we join him?”

Fran turns to him with a smile. “Does that mean you don’t hate him anymore?”

Van looks away. “…Something like that.”

“Well, that’s good,” he says. They walk up to Saint-Germain’s table. Just as they approach, Saint looks up to see the both of them. He greets them with a smile. “Why, if it isn’t Van Helsing & Fran. How are you both doing today?”

“Fine,” Van says a little gruffly. Then, “Mind if we join you?”

Surprise shows in Saint’s eyes. Then, he smiles. “Please do.”

So, Fran & Saint-Germain sit across from Saint, & begin enjoying their meal.

For a few moments, they eat in silence. Then, Fran speaks.

“So, how has your project been coming along you two?”

Saint smiles. “It’s been coming along well. We finished the script, & we’ll be practicing it tonight.”

With that, Saint finishes the food in front of him. “Are you going to go now that you’ve finished eating?” Van asks.

Saint shakes his head. “I’m happy to sit with you both for a little while longer. I’m not urgently needed elsewhere, so I’ll stay.”

Van gives one of his rare smiles. “That’s nice of you.”

Saint smiles back. “Think nothing of it, Van.”

Just then, someone unexpectedly approaches the table. Van turns to see a girl with brown hair & a heart tattoo on her arm. She stops when she reaches their table. Then, she says, “Saint-Germain, I’m in love with you! Would you consider dating me?”

A flash of resignation shows in Saint’s eyes. He turns to the girl. “I’m sorry, but I am not open to the idea. Thank you for understanding.”

The girl looks disappointed, but she soon walks away.

Van turns to Saint-Germain. “What was that?”

Saint smiles. “Some people…only want me for my means, shall we say. It happens at least once a week.”

“Once a _week_?!” Van replies in shock.

Saint nods. “But I’m sure once I get a significant other, they’ll stop approaching me like this.” 

Fran laughs. “I see. How interesting, Saint-Germain.”

Van, on the other hand, is silent. Something about the way Saint said “significant other” is making Van’s heart pound.

Van finishes his food. “Well, it’s about time to head to class,” he says. 

“I’ll come with you,” Saint-Germain says, “since we have class together.”

Van nods. “…Alright.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” says Fran with a knowing smile. “See you both later!”

With that, Saint & Van leave the dining hall together.

They’re both silent for a moment before Van speaks.

“What will you be doing after class?”

“Oh, sending some important emails, making some important phone calls. I’m a very busy man,” Saint-Germain says.

“Oh really?”

“Yes,” Saint replies. “When I was 13, my father told me that if I wanted my share of his fortune, I would have to earn it,” Saint-Germain says. “Ever since then, I have been working hard to prove to him that I am worthy.” He turns to Van Helsing with a smile. “Going to college is a stepping stone on that journey.”

The breath is almost knocked out of Van. _It looks like…I was wrong about Saint-Germain after all. I thought everything he has was just handed to him on a silver platter, but…it looks like that isn’t the case._

With that revelation in mind, they reach the classroom. Both men sit down in their desks, Van in the front, Saint-Germain in the back. Little does Van know that today, like most days, Saint is distractedly looking at Van from his chair at the back of the room.

Like usual, at the end of class, Dr. Madson gives the class a few minutes to get into their groups & work together on their projects.

Van joins Saint at his desk, & Saint gives him a mischievous smile. “We already finished the script, so instead of working, how about we just talk?”

Van thinks on it for a moment. Then, “Alright. Fine by me.”

For a moment, both are silent. Then, Saint-Germain speaks.

“It seems…you don’t hate me anymore,” he says.

For a moment, Van isn’t sure how to respond. Then, he sighs. “I’ll admit it. You’re not the type of person I assumed you were. I thought you were just some rich asshole, but…well, I was wrong.”

“I see,” says Saint, Then, “I have one more question.

“Do I have permission…to call you my friend?”

Van’s surprised by the question. But then, he smiles. “Of course.”

Saint returns his smile with a brilliant smile of his own, & seeing it makes Van’s heart pound. “I’m glad,” Saint-Germain says, still smiling.

“Thank you, everyone,” Dr. Madson says. “You’re dismissed for today!”

Saint looks at Van with a smile. “I’ll see you tonight to read through the script?”

“Yep,” Van replies. “See you at 8.”

And with that, Van leaves the room, & goes to drop his stuff off at the dorm before heading to his part-time job.

Back in the classroom, Saint is packing his things, his heart feeling warm & light. _Van is my friend. Perhaps we can even become something more…_

The thought makes Saint smile again.


	12. Chapter 12

After work, Van heads straight to the library, ready to meet Saint-Germain & read the script together.

When he enters the library, he finds Saint at their usual table. Saint waves at him, & he goes & sits down next to Saint-Germain, peering at the script on Saint’s laptop.

“Alright, let’s do it!” says Saint excitedly

Van Helsing looks at the script, & reads the first line. “’Call me Hoshino. What’s your name?”

“’I am Number 14. I don’t have a name,’” says Saint-Germain, reading off the script.

Van blinks in surprise. Saint is a surprisingly good actor. Trying to focus, he reads his part. “’That’s nonsense. Everyone has a name, even if they don’t know what it is.’”

“’Well, I was never given one, nor did I ever ask for one. I simply exist, as I am, & that is enough for me.’”

They continue reading through the script, until they get to the final line. “’I…can be human,’” says Saint-Germain. “’I…can be loved.’”

Hearing Saint-Germain say “I can be loved” ever so softly make Van blush. He tries not to show it, & instead pretends to looks closely at the script.

The two men sit in silence for a moment before Van clears his throat. “Well, I’d better get going. I think that was a good first read-through of the script. Let’s read through it at least one more time before the performance. But for now, well, I guess I’ll see you around.”

Saint-Germain smiles. “Alright. See you later, Van.”

With that, Van Helsing leaves the library.

Saint-Germain gathers his things, finally letting out the embarrassed happiness he’s feeling. Things have improved so much between him & Van, & he is so very thankful for that. _Maybe I should tell him how I feel…_

He considers it for a moment. _Maybe it’s the right time. But on the other hand, what if that just makes things awkward between us…?_

He shakes his head. _Maybe it’s worth a try. I’ll have to think on it to know for sure._

And so, Saint-Germain leaves the library.

When Van Helsing gets back to his dorm, he finds Fran is already there. As Van enters, Fran turns to him with a smile. “Hey Van! How’s everything going?”

Van smiles back. “Things are good. And I thought you’d want to know that things with Saint-Germain has improved. We’re…friends now.”

Fran’s eyes widen. Then, he grins. “That’s great! I mean, I saw things were better at lunch earlier, but it’s great to hear it straight from you.”

Van nods in response, & then goes to his desk to focus on homework.

Fran thinks about Van’s words. One more push, & maybe Van & Saint will truly start to understand each other. But what can Fran do to make that happen…?

Fran gets an idea, & he grins.


	13. Chapter 13

Van sits down at the diner, waiting for Fran.

He remembers his roommate’s words. _I know you have the day off work today. I’ll treat you to dinner at the diner on Main Street, so what do you say?_ He said yes, of course—it’s always nice to eat a good meal with a friend. But Fran hasn’t arrived yet.

He looks up to see someone approaching the table. He looks up to see—

“Saint-Germain? What are you doing here?”

Saint blinks in surprise. “Fran told me something very important was happening at this restaurant, & I had to come right away.” His eyes glimmer with amusement. “I suppose that important thing was meeting you? I don’t see Fran though.”

Right then, Van Helsing understands—Fran set him up!

If this were the Van Helsing from a week ago, he would immediately leave, hurling insults at Saint-Germain all the while. But, as he looks up at the other man, the person who has become his friend, he realizes…he doesn’t particularly mind this outcome. He gestures to the chair across from him. “Go ahead & sit down,” he says. “Let’s get a meal together.”

Saint-Germain smiles. “That sounds nice,” he says, sitting down across from Van. A waiter brings Saint a menu, & he peruses it with interest, though Van can see Saint looking up at him from time to time. Van looks down at the menu himself. Then, he decides what he’s going to eat. “I think I’ll get an egg whites omelet,” he says. “What are you eating, Saint-Germain?”

Saint looks up at him. “I think I’ll get a pork chop with a side of broccoli.”

Van Helsing nods. Moments later, their waiter approaches the table, & both men put their orders in.

Then, they sit in silence for a few moments, before Van breaks the silence, laughing bitterly.

“You must hate me by now, don’t you?” Van says.

Saint-Germain looks at him, surprised. “Why would you say that?”

“I know you said we were friends, but I haven’t exactly been making the best first impression,” Van replies, “so if you never want to talk to me again after this project is over, I’d completely understand.”

Saint-Germain shakes his head, resolute. “I don’t hate you. In fact…” He takes in a deep breath, and then speaks again.

“I…have loved you for a long time,” Saint-Germain confesses.

For a moment, Van’s unsure if he’s heard the man correctly. _Love? Me?_ But he can tell by Saint’s serious gaze that he has heard him correctly, & that Saint-Germain is definitely not pulling his leg.

Van Helsing shakes his head. “Why in the world—“

“It started as a crush,” Saint-Germain says, “but then, I found myself unable to stop thinking about you. Every time I’d see you on campus, I’d wonder what you’re doing, & how everything is going with you. I found myself wishing we had been in the same freshmen orientation group, if only so I could have come to know you better.”

Van Helsing blinks in surprise at Saint’s statement. “How long…have you liked me?”

Saint-Germain blushes. Then, “Ever since I saw you across the room at freshmen orientation.”

Van Helsing starts, very surprised. “Really? That long?”

“Yes,” Saint replies. “Ever since then, I’ve been admiring you from afar. So, when we were paired together for this project, I knew it had to be fate at work.” He laughs. “But I never would have suspected how much you’d hate me.”

It’s Van Helsing turn to blush. “Hey, that was a misunderstanding. I thought you were…someone different than you are. I was wrong. And,” he says with a smile, “I’m glad I was wrong about everything I assumed about you. And that you convinced me to give you a deeper look.”

Saint-Germain smiles. “I’m glad too.”

With that, their food arrives, & both begin to eat.

Saint begins cutting his pork chop into small pieces; he looks across the table to see Van Helsing doing the same with his omelet. Seeing them doing the same thing makes Saint-Germain smile.

Then, Saint takes a bite of his food. He then looks up at Van shyly. “So, do you…accept my feelings for you?” he asks.

Van is about to take a bite of his food, but the moment he hears Saint’s question, the fork stops midway to his mouth. He puts it down. Then, he smiles. “I do.”

Those simple words make Saint’s heart leap with joy. “In that case…” Saint says. “No, it’s nothing.”

“What is it?”

“I was just thinking…I guess this is a date,” Saint says. 

Van blushes. Then, “I guess it is.” He takes another bite of his food, still blushing.

Both men are too shy to speak during the rest of the meal. Soon enough, they finish their food, & Saint-Germain insists on paying the bill. “Alright,” Van says with a smile. “If you insist.”

Saint pays the bill, & they walk together outside to Main Street. At that point, Saint-Germains turns to him.

“Most dates end with a kiss,” Saint-Germain says. “Would you mind if I…kissed you?”

Van smiles. “I was thinking the same thing.”

And then, Van closes the distance between them, & kisses Saint-Germain.

The kiss is a first for both of them—Saint-Germain had always dreamed of kissing someone after a date, but he’d never actually done it. As for Van, he had never let himself get close enough to anyone for something even remotely like this to happen. And so, it’s a lovely first for both parties, one that displays the depths of affection they have for each other.

With that, Van releases Saint-Germain. Saint looks at him, desire showing in his eyes.

“I’ve been hoping for so long that we’d be able to do this,” Saint says with a smile. “This is a dream come true.”

With that, he kisses Van again.

This kiss is filled with desire, with Saint-Germain’s need to express everything he’s ever felt for the other man. The time spent desiring Van—over a year at this point—is captured in one, intimate kiss.

He releases Van with a smile. “That felt…good,” Van says softly.

Saint-Germain smiles. “I’m glad.”

With that, they begin to walk down Main Street, & Van catches Saint looking at him from time to time as they walk. A few times, Van meets Saint’s gaze, & they both smile at each other.

They walk down Main Street, back to campus, in a happy bliss.

Soon enough, they reach Van’s dorm. He clears his throat. “Well, this is where I live. So I guess…I’ll see you later.”

Saint turns to him with a smile. “Let’s do this again sometime soon.”

Van tiles his head to one side. “You mean walk to my dorm?

Saint-Germain blushes. “I’m asking you on another date, silly.”

“Oh,” Van says, & it’s his turn to blush. Then, “I would love that, actually.”

Saint-Germain’s face bursts into a huge smile, & at that moment, Van loves him more than anything else. “I’m so glad,” Saint says. 

Then, Van does something that even surprises even himself—he leans forward, & kisses Saint-Germain on the cheek.

When he leans back, he sees he’s made Saint-Germain blush again. Van smiles. “So, unexpected displays of affection are what make you lose your cool façade. Good to know.”

With that, Saint blushes even more. He looks at Van, as if gathering up some courage, and says, “I love you. I really do.”

Hearing the words knocks the wind out of Van Helsing’s lungs. _I love you…_

Van swallows. “I think I…love you too,” he says softly.

Saint’s eyes open wide with shock. But then, he smiles again. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Van smiles back. “Well, see you later.”

“Bye, Van.”

With that, Van enters the dorm.

Soon enough, he reaches his room, where Fran is sitting up in bed, working on his homework. Fran smiles mischievously as Van enters. “So? How was dinner?”

Van smiles. “You crafty bastard.”

“So, good then?” says Fran, still smiling.

Van looks away. But the smile still outlining his face tells Fran everything he needs to know.

Fran grins. “I’m happy for you two!”

Van’s still smiling as he says, “Thanks, Fran.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Norbez gave me the idea for Fran to set up the date between Van & Saint. Thanks Norbez!


	14. Chapter 14

The next day is Wednesday, which means Creative Writing Foundations class. Van heads to class to see Saint already sitting in the back. He gives Saint a smile as he sits in his own seat, preparing for class.

The class goes by quickly, & soon enough, 5 minutes are left. Dr. Madson allots the little bit of time remaining to working in their groups, so Van moves to the back to work with Saint. Saint gives him a smile as he sits down.

“We still need to plan a date to read through our play one more time before the class performance.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Van says.

Saint nods. “I know you’re working tonight, so how about after that? At 8?” Saint-Germain gives him a smile. “I’m eager to see you again.”

Van blushes. Then, “I can meet tonight. That sounds good.”

“Alright class,” says Dr. Madson. “That’s a wrap on today’s class. Have a good day!”

Saint gives Van a smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Van smiles back. “Yeah. See you.”

And so, he leaves the classroom.

Saint looks at Van’s retreating footsteps, feeling like a coward. _I couldn’t even ask him to walk back with me…_ He shakes his head. _Next time for sure…I’ll do it._

Van drops his stuff off at the dorm, & then heads to his part-time job. Work goes by slowly as he eagerly counts the minutes until he can see Saint-Germain again. 

Soon enough, his shift is over, & he heads to the library.

When he gets there, he finds that Saint has gotten them their usual table. He sits down next to Saint-Germain with a smile. “Good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Saint says with a smile of his own.

Then, Saint-Germain says “I printed out a copy of the script for each of us.” He hands Van his copy.

“Thanks,” Van replies, taking it.

Van Helsing looks down at the script in his hand, & begins to read. “Call me Hoshino. What’s your name?”

“’I am Number 14. I don’t have a name,’” responds Saint-Germain.

And so, they continue reading the script together.

Soon enough, all too quickly, they finish. Van almost wishes the script was longer so they could spend more time together.

Saint turns to him with a smile. “Are you available tomorrow?”

Van Helsing blinks in surprise—Saint seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. Van thinks it over. “I don’t work on Thursdays, so I should be available after class. Why do you ask?”

Saint smiles. “We haven’t yet a date or location for our second date, so I thought we should do so now.”

Van smiles back. “I see. What do you have in mind?”

Saint grins. “How about we dine at the Paula Inn & Restaurant on Main Street tomorrow evening? My treat. I’ve been there a few times & have always loved it. I’m sure we could enjoy ourselves there too.”

Van smiles. “That sounds nice. What time should I meet you there?”

“I’ll get us a 7 o’clock reservation. How does that sound to you?”

Van smiles. “That sounds great. Let’s do it!”

Saint-Germain smiles. “Fantastic. This should be a lot of fun!”

And so, they continue packing up their things, & prepare to leave the library.

Saint-Germain turns to Van with a smile. “Which one of us lives closer to the library?”

Van thinks on it for a moment. Then, “I think you do. My dorm is definitely a further walk.”

Saint smiles. “In that case,” he says, He bites his lip, as if gathering up some courage. Then, “Let’s walk to your dorm together. I want to spend as much time together as possible, if that’s alright.”

Van smiles. “That’s more than alright, Saint.”

With that, Van stands up, then offers a hand to Saint so he can do the same.

Saint takes Van’s hand, which is gentle to the touch. Unexpectedly so.

Then, Saint starts pulling Van by the hand out of the library, not letting go of their intertwining fingers.

This surprises Van, but he doesn’t object. Instead, he just smiles.

Van is surprised by how warm Saint’s hand is to the touch. Their fingers intertwine, and the soft sensation of Saint’s fingers on the back of his hand fills him with a happy warmth. It’s a wonderful, comfortable feeling.

They continue holding hands as they leave the library, & start walking to the dorm together.

“What’s your major, Saint?” asks Van as they walk.

“Why do you ask?”

“I mean, if we’re going to be…” _dating_ “…together, I think I should know. That’s all.”

Saint blushes next to him. Then, “My major is Art History.”

Van’s eyes widen. “You want to be an artist?”

“I want to be an art historian. Ever since I was young, I’ve always been a connoisseur of the arts. I want to play a part in making sure its history can live on. I want to work at a museum of some kind, or maybe found a museum of my own. I’m not sure yet, but I do know that my passion for the arts will never fade.”

“I see,” says Van.

Saint-Germain turns to him with a smile. “What’s your major, Van?”

Van laughs. “My major’s nowhere near an interesting as yours. I’m majoring in Economics because I’m good at math. That’s all.”

Saint nods. “Well, I’m glad you were able to something that fits your capabilities so well.”

Van blushes. “Thanks, Saint-Germain.”

With that, they arrive at the dorm. Saint releases Van’s hand, & he finds himself longing for Saint’s touch almost immediately.

“I have to go,” Saint-Germain says, “but I’ll see you at dinner tomorrow. Ok?”

“Ok,” Van replies with a smile. “See you then,” he says.

Then, Saint does something unexpected—he reaches forward, and strokes Van’s cheek gently. Then, Saint smiles. “You’re beautiful,” he says. “Never forget that.”

Van takes in Saint-Germain’s gentle touch & lovely words.

Then, Saint recedes his hand, and walks away, waving at Van Helsing. “Bye Van.”

“Bye Saint.”

With that, Van heads into the dorm, excited for what tomorrow will bring.


	15. Chapter 15

The next day is Thursday. Van wakes up with a goofy smile on his face. _My date with Saint’s today!_

He gets out of bed, & soon enough, he’s dressed & ready to go to class. He’s getting his stuff together as Fran looks over at him & says, “You look happy. What’s up?”

“Saint & I are going on our second date today,” Van says.

Fran’s eyes widen. “That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you two.”

Van turns to him with a teasing smile. “No need for you to trick us into meeting—we scheduled this on our own.”

Fran laughs. “Well, I’m glad.”

With that, Van Helsing leaves the dorm.

All day he’s barely able to pay attention in class, as he’s eagerly waiting for his date to start. More than once he finds himself drowning out what the instructor is saying with his own thoughts, or twitching with nervous excitement.

After classes are over, he goes back to his dorm, & waits anxiously for the minutes to change into hours so it’ll be time for his date.

Finally, the clock reads 6:45. He smiles. _I’d better get going._ With that, he stands up, & walks out of the dorm.

Soon enough, he’s on Main Street, heading to the restaurant. And in front of him is—

“Saint?” Van calls.

The person in front of him turns around, & sure enough, it’s Saint-Germain. He greets Van with a wide grin. “I was just on my way to the restaurant,” he explains. “Shall we walk together?”

“For sure,” Van replies, running forward to catch up with Saint. Once he’s standing next to Saint on the sidewalk, he slows his footsteps to a walk so they can walk & talk in step with each other.

“How was your day?” Saint-Germain asks, turning to Van.

“It was good. Just…” Van Helsing blushes.

“What is it?”

 _I was spending almost every second thinking about you._ “Nothing,” Van replies. “How was your day?”

“It was fine.” Van says with a smile. Then, “I found myself thinking of you all day long.”

Van Helsing blushes. But then, he musters the courage to say. “…me too.”

It’s Saint-Germain’s turn to blush.

They stay like that, blushing together until they reach the restaurant. Van holds the door open for Saint-Germain, & Saint enters with Van behind him.

They approach the counter. “I have a 7 o’clock reservation for two,” Saint says.

“Right this way.”

They are led to a table in the middle of the restaurant. Van Helsing sits down, & Saint-Germain sits across from him.

They both look down at their menus, & try to determine what to order. Finally, Van looks up. “I think I’d like a veggie burger with fries. What are you going to get?”

“I’ll have the Corn Chowder soup & Caesar salad combo.” Saint replies.

Soon, their server approaches the table, & the men put their orders in.

“So, you said you’re really good at math,” Saint says, “and that’s why you wanted to major in Economics. Do you have any other hidden talents I should know about?” Saint asks with a glint in his eye.

“Hmmm…” Van says, taking the question seriously. Then, “I’m good with a gun. I’m a fairly accurate shot.”

Saint’s eyes widen. “Oh, really?”

He nods. “My father used to take me the shooting range. It was his way of spending time with me.” He smiles. “My parents are divorced, & I would visit my father the first Saturday of every month. We often went to the shooting range for a while, & just spent time there. It helped me forget…that my parent’s marriage wasn’t in the best place.”

Saint nods in understanding.

At that moment, their food arrives. Van takes a bite of his burger before speaking again. “But enough about me. What’s your family like?”

Saint smiles. “My father is…a little extreme. I think I mentioned before that I had to work hard to inherit the family fortune. From a young age, he’s made me work for everything I have now. He called it ‘giving his son an entrepreneurial spirit’, but…well, I’m not sure if I’d call it the same thing.”

Saint eats a spoonful of his soup before continuing.

“By the time I was 16, I had already created a few companies—some failures, some successful—and had found myself in a place where I could live comfortably.”

“Wow,” Van says.

“But then, I decided to sit back & think about what I wanted to do with my life. And so, I realized that my love of the arts was something that stayed constant even after my life would change so much. So, I decided to come to college & pursue that.” Saint smiles. “And now, here I am.”

“I see,” Van says. “Are you just going to get your Bachelor’s Degree, or…?”

“I want to get my Master’s Degree,” Saint says with a smile, “in either Historic Preservation or Art History,” he adds. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Well, whatever you end up deciding, I’ll support you one hundred percent,” says Van with a smile of his own.

Saint-Germain smiles back. “That’s awfully nice of you, Van.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise. We’re dating aren’t we?” Van says.

At this, a prominent blush forms on Saint-Germain’s face. “What?” Van asks, looking up at him.

“Well, you’ve never called us a couple before…”

Van smiles. “That’s because I thought it went without saying.”

Saint laughs. “Call me…inexperienced…but hearing you say that we’re dating, straight from your mouth, makes me really happy.”

“Hey, if you’re inexperienced, I’m even more so,” Van says. “Nevertheless, I’m glad I could make you happy.”

By this point, both men had finished their food, and Saint motions to their server for the check. He pays it quickly, and then, he stands up from the table. “Shall we?”

“Yes,” Van says, standing up.

Saint-Germain balls his hands into fists, as if to gather some courage. Then, he speaks. “Let’s walk back to my dorm this time.” 

Van nods. “Alright, that sounds good.”

So, they leave the restaurant, walking down Main Street back to campus.

Van smiles. “That was nice. I’d never been to that restaurant; it was good.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” Saint-Germain replies.

They reach the point where Main Street transitions to their college campus, & they step off the street & onto the campus.

“…I do have a request, Van.” Saint says, so softly that at first Van thinks he’s misheard him.

“A request?” He smiles. “Anything. What do you need?”

“I was wondering…if you’d like to call me by my first name?” Saint says as they walk to his dorm.

Van Helsing laughs. “That’s right—we’ve been going by our last names this whole time, haven’t we?”

They’ve arrived at Saint-Germain’s dorm, but Saint doesn’t move to go inside. At that moment, Van turns to the other man. “…Lawrence,” Van says.

A deep blush forms on Saint’s face. Then, he says simply, “Yes…Abraham?”

Van blushes too, though he manages to smile. “I love you,” he says.

Then, he leans forward, & kisses Saint-Germain.

The kiss is a little forceful, a little possessive, as Van confirms that Saint-Germain’s affections are for him & him alone. That he loves him, deeply, & will always be willing to share his affections freely. That Van & Saint will be together forever.

Then, Van releases Saint. 

Saint looks up at his lover, breathless. “Can you…come back with me to my dorm?” Saint says shyly.

Van’s surprised by the request for a moment, but then he remembers—Saint lives by himself & doesn’t have a roommate. “You want me…to come over?” he asks softly.

“Yes. Very much,” Saint replies.

Van hesitates. Then, he laughs softly. “I’m still a virgin. I don’t know if I’ll be any good…”

“I don’t care,” says Saint-Germain. “I just want to be with you.”

Van smiles. “Ok then,” he says softly. “Let’s go.”


	16. Chapter 16

They arrive at Saint-Germain’s dorm. He unlocks the door, & they enter.

Now that he’s entering Saint’s room, Van is able to get a proper look at it for the first time. All around are posters of what seem to be pieces of modern art & other paintings. He smiles, as he remembers how much Saint loves art. _It makes sense that he would decorate his room like this._

They walk up to the bed. Van hesitates for a moment, & then, he takes off his shirt. 

Saint-Germain sucks in a breath as he sees the other man’s body. “You’re so skinny…” he says in wonder, moving a hand to poke Van’s stomach.

Van laughs as Saint’s hand brushes against his stomach. “You are too you know.”

“No…not really,” says Saint. “I’ll show you.”

With that, Saint takes off his shirt.

Van’s eyes open in wonder as he takes in Saint’s body. His toned skin is smooth, save for a small birthmark right below one nipple. Van almost wants to reach for Saint’s nipples and give them a little squeeze. A little bit of Saint’s stomach pokes out of his belly, but that’s all.

“See? I’m so fat…” Saint says with agony in his voice.

Van shakes his head. “You may have a little pudge, but to me, you look beautiful.”

With that, Van reaches forward, & gently squeezes Saint’s left nipple.

Saint gasps at the sudden sensation. “How does that feel?” asks Van.

“Better than I expected,” Saint confesses.

Van smiles. “Good. Now, lie down.”

Saint lies down on the bed, with Van looking down on him. Van strokes Saint’s body gently with one finger. “There are so many things we can do together right now,” Van says softly. He then moves his hand, and gently squeezes Saint’s breast.

The sensation makes Saint gasp. Van squeezes Saint’s breast again, & a wave of pleasure runs through Saint.

After a moment, Van Helsing retracts his hand. Then, Van lowers his head…and begins kissing Saint-Germain’s chest.

Saint gasps again.

The sensation of Van’s lips on his body is electrifying. It’s like nothing he’s ever experienced before. Every time Van lowers his head & kisses him, he experiences a pleasure like nothing he’s ever felt before. He never imagined that simply being kissed could feel this good.

Van kisses Saint’s chest, over & over, until after what seems like an eternity, he lifts up his head. “How did that feel?”

“Good,” Saint-Germain replies. “Really good.” Then, “Do you want…to take off my pants?” Saint asks.

Van laughs. “I don’t think I’m ready for that tonight—this has already been so stimulating. Maybe next time?”

Saint smiles. “That sounds fine.”

With that he pats the space next to him on the bed. “C’mon,” Saint says. “Let’s lie down together.”

Van blinks in surprise, but after a moment, he smiles. Then, he lies down next to Saint.

After lying down, Van wraps his arms around Saint, and holds his boyfriend close. Saint smiles. “You’re so warm…”

“Good,” says Van Helsing.

And so, they fall asleep in each other’s arms.


	17. Chapter 17

Van wakes up the next morning a little unsure as to where he is. Then, he remembers. After their date last night, Saint-Germain asked him to come over to his dorm room. And…

He blushes upon remembering. _I’m still technically a virgin, but it sure doesn’t feel like it._

He turns his head in the bed to his arms still wrapped around Saint-Germain, who is still asleep next to him. He smiles upon seeing his boyfriend’s sleeping face. _He’s so cute…_

He tilts his hand, and gently strokes Saint’s cheek with his fingers, brushing aside a strand of hair.

“Mmmph…” Saint-Germain gives a soft groan. Then, he slowly opens his eyes. “Van…?” he says.

Van smiles. “Good morning, beautiful.”

Saint smiles back. “Good morning…”

“You’re really cute when you sleep,” Van says with a smile.

This makes Saint-Germain blush. “I’m…glad to hear you say that,” he replies, “but it’s a little embarrassing…”

Van laughs softly. Then, he lets Saint-Germain go, & stands up from the bed. Saint-Germain is still lying down.

“My first class is at 10pm today, so I’d better get going,” Van says.

Saint smiles. “My first class isn’t until 11…you can’t play hooky for a little bit?”

“Sorry beautiful boyfriend,” Van says, “but it’s an economics class necessary for my major, so I can’t skip. But I’ll see you in Creative Writing Foundations class, ok?” Van says. Then, he leans forward, & kisses Saint-Germain on the forehead. “See you later.”

Saint blushes as Van leaves the room & heads to class.

Later that afternoon, Van heads to Creative Writing Foundations with excitement.

In class, everyone reads through their plays. Van waits for his name to be called. Finally, it is.

“Last but certainly not least, Lawrence Saint-Germain & Abraham Van Helsing will reads their play. Come to the front of the class, you two.”

Van Helsing stands up from his desk, & goes to the front of the room. He turns to find Saint-Germain doing the same. Since Saint sits in the back, & Van sits in the front, it takes Saint a little longer to reach the front of the room. But he eventually does, & turns to Van. Both men have a script in hand, & begin to read.

“Call me Hoshino. What’s your name?”

“’I am Number 14. I don’t have a name,’” says Saint-Germain, reading off the script.

They read the entire script, eyes on each other, until Saint gets to the final line.

“’I…can be human,’” says Saint-Germain. “’I…can be loved.’”

That line is supposed to end the play, but something about Saint’s delivery of the line—his soft voice, his revelatory behavior at the word “loved”…it makes Van feel an unbridled pang of affection for his lover.

And so, he closes the distance between them, & kisses Saint-Germain on the lips.

This kiss is hungering, almost longing, for Saint’s affections. It’s a kiss that demonstrates Van’s overpowering desire for his lover, his strong desire to love & be loved by Saint, & his need for the other man.

Then, Van releases Saint with a smile. “Yes, you can be loved,” Van says with a smile.

He hears someone clearing his throat, & he looks to see Dr. Madson. “Can you save it for after class, please?” she says, though she’s smiling.

“Oh! Sorry,” Van says.

Saint laughs. “But I do believe that class is over, so we can do whatever we want now,” he says with a smile.

Dr. Madson looks at the clock, & then, she shrugs. “Fair enough. Dismissed!”

With that, everyone stands up from their desks. Van moves to go back to his desk & grab his things, but Saint-Germain reaches over & takes his hand at that exact moment. He turns back to Saint with a smile. Saint smiles back.

And then, he kisses Van for a second time.

This time, it’s Saint who’s demonstrating his desire to feel Van’s love, his desire to showcase his affections freely without reservation. It’s a kiss that shows how much Saint loves, & yearns, for Van to be with him, every second of every day.

He releases Van with a smile. “I love you, Abraham.”

Van smiles back. “And I love you, Lawrence.”

And thus the young couple affirmed their love for each other, & assured that no matter what, they would be together.


	18. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact—this was one of the first scenes I wrote when writing this fic. I hope you enjoy it! :3 
> 
> Also, this is the end of the story, but I’m open to some Future Blessings style short stories where I show the adventures of the happy couple. We’ll see!

“Ok. Close your eyes, and hold out your hands.” Saint-Germain says.

Van does so, a little anxious. After a moment, he feels something being gently placed in his hands.

“You can open your eyes now,” Saint-Germain says.

Van Helsing opens his eyes to see Saint-Germain’s smiling face. He looks down to see…

Van sucks in a breath, surprised.

It’s a blank check. On the bottom is a signature that reads “Lawrence Saint-Germain”. He looks at the check, then back at Saint-Germain. “What is this?”

Saint smiles. “I thought long & hard about what to get you for your birthday, & I decided the best gift would be something tangible. So, I decided I could pay off your college debts. Only, I don’t know the exact number, so I had to make it a blank check. I hope that’s alright.”

“You hope that’s alright? Saint…” Van shakes his head. “This is too generous; I can’t accept this.”

“I insist that you do,” says Saint-Germain. “I love you, & it would bring me much joy to relieve you of something that’s been weighing you down.”

Van closes his eyes, then reopens them. The blank check is still there. He can feel a happy tear running down his face. “Alright, Saint. I’ll accept this gift. Thank you so much.”

Saint-Germain smiles. “Of course, Van.”

With that, Van puts the blank check aside, and closes the distance between him & Saint-Germain—and kisses him.

The kiss starts of gentle, as if only to make Saint aware of Van’s presence. But it slowly becomes more deep, more physical, as Van’s desire for his lover suddenly overtakes him.

Finally, he lets Saint go. Van then offers Saint a smile. “Thank you again, Saint.”

Saint-Germain smiles.

“It’s the least I could do for the one I love.”


End file.
